Assault Fitness AirRunner

Product Description

The Name Says it AllLike running on air, but with a powerful amount of punch. This treadmill is like none you have ever known, burning up to 30% more calories than the average motorized version and built with intense training in mind. Tough on You, Easy on the Environmental remarkable feature, the Air Runner runs on your energy, with zero electrical consumption and a low carbon footprint. You'll be amazed at what a hardcore workout can come from the power of your own two feet. The Air Runner is also the lightest treadmill available with a 33" width. Optimal for Interval Training Because the Assault team knows the effectiveness of interval training, our treadmill was designed with HIIT in mind. Burning up to 30% more calories than a motorized treadmill, users can change speeds at will. In addition, this bad boy has no maximum speed, so feel free to push it as hard as possible. Commercial Durability The Air Runner is well-appointed to kick your a for years, built with a steel frame and handrails, corrosion resistant hardware, and a slat belt running surface that lasts up to 150, 000 miles. That's right - that's not a typo: 150, 000. There's no need for you to adjust the belt tension or replace the deck. This treadmill is the easiest to maintain that you'll find anywhere.

Features

• Like nothing you've ever trained on before - burns up to 30% more calories than a motorized treadmill
• Easy on the environment runs on your energy with zero electrical consumption
• Optimal for all types of training. Maximum user weight: 350 pounds
• Commercial durability 150, 000 mile belt life
• Natural running feel promotes efficient running stride

Top Reviews

Poor quality and poor customer support
by Amazon Customer (2 out of 5 stars)
April 8, 2019

This is a cool design and great for interval training, but it started to make an odd noise within a week of me using it. We have been coordinating with the manufacturer to find a mechanic to come out and take a look. It took a month to find someone who was able to work with these curved machines, but we quickly learned that he didn't really have experience because he wasn't even able to take the cover off. So now we've been going back and forth with the manufacturer and troubleshooting ourselves. For a $5,000 piece of equipment I expect better quality and better service.
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Worth it
by David A Enriquez (5 out of 5 stars)
January 25, 2019

Im only a couple months into owning this monster, but I'm happy with everything so far. I use the Assault Air Runner 1 to 2 times a week for endurance and speed workouts as a supplement to crossfit and weight training/lifting and this beats running through 13 inches of snow or on ice in sub zero ambient temperatures.

I feel like its harder to run on this curved treadmil compared to running outside and my 400m and 1600m times reflect that by being 30s to 3.5 min slower than on a track.

The monitor is easy to use and has some basic workout templates built in along with the ability to sync with my heart monitor band which is pretty much all I need.

Overall I feel happy with my purchase, and look forward to wearing through many pairs of shoes before the tread belt needs replacing.
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I love this thing
by Jeff Kimble (5 out of 5 stars)
October 13, 2018

TL;DR -- Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's as good as you think it is. Yes, you should buy it.
*Quick Update* - 3/1/2019 -- I stopped using this treadmill for a few months because I broke the cable to the computer in a move. Assault Fitness's was support was top-notch and quickly and painlessly sent me the spare parts I needed. Fantastic Service! Secondly, getting back on it -- having been out of my running routing -- has helped me 'rediscover' a benefit I didn't mention before.

The power of this treadmill, outside of all of the stuff I mention below, is that it forces you to become a more efficient and consistent runner. "Pairing" a HR monitor with this (whether through the ANT/BLE support or just wearing one) is a game changer. Speed + HR = focus on gait, cadence, and consistency. It has helped me develop the better habit of leaning forward to control my speed by pushing my chest forward while keeping my hips under me. If you don't do this, you'll quickly and painfully learn it as your HR shoots through the roof and your cadence seems impossibly slow. It's also worth noting that, even with the proper posture, this thing is harder than running outside. I am faster over ground than on this treadmill, but I think that's a great thing.
** original review ** The Long Version

Growing up, my friend had one of those manual NordicTrack treadmills. I remember going to his house and trying to run as fast as I could. There was this strange delay where I had to push against the handles to get the belt moving....and trying to stop? Oh man. Well, needless to say, manual treadmills have come a long way in the last 2-3 decades. And this just might be the zenith.

Given my past experience, I was really curious what to expect with this. It's full of intrigue and mystery, isn't it? Shaped like a kidney bean, no deck below it (how is that even possible?!), and no power, I couldn't wait for this thing to get here. And when it did...well, hopefully you've been crossfitting.

UNBOXING / SETUP

To be candid -- this treadmill is built like a tank and that becomes obvious the second it shows up on your doorstep. The treadmill itself is almost 300 lbs and, to package all that heft, it ships with wooden packaging because obviously. Even with all that craziness, the box looked like it passed through a war zone on its way to me. However, this treadmill has no time or tolerance for shipping abuse or plywood boxes and was absolutely unscathed. Not even a scratch.

Once unboxed, setup was simple and stragithforward. Since it's manual, there aren't too many things going on beyond the 'big pieces' if you will. You bolt the frame to the body / belt (which is already assembled) and off you go. And off you go indeed!

QUALITY

First, I had this mental image of a rubber treadmill belt being suspended with equal parts pullies and magic, powered by optimism and confusion. I'm a big guy, (6'2", 225 lbs) so I had my doubts to say the least. However....there are no words.

Insofar as the deck goes, it's less of a treadmill belt and more like a tank tread. Intended or not, the name "Assault Fitness" makes that analogy so much more fitting. Even as a bigger person, the width is perfect and there's absolutely no flex on the "tracks", even at a full-tilt sprint. They were not joking when they said it was commercial-grade. While I am lucky enough to have this in my garage, I wouldn't hesitate to put this against any piece of commercial equipment on the market today. It's ready to take whatever you can throw at it. Simply as a piece of equipment, it's impressive and amazing but let's be honest -- that's clearly not the reason you bought it. People buying $5,000 treadmills are dedicated; they aren't looking for something to throw their clothes on in three months. So how does it perform? Oh. My. God.

RUNNING

It didn't take but 30 seconds to realize how big of an advantage this thing has over every other treadmill I've ever used. It was like a switch and the light bulb went off; it's for sprinting, running, and interval training but -- most of all -- for pushing yourself. The kidney shapes plays two important functions as well. First, it's for speed control. The mechanics within this are silky-smooth (almost too smooth) so how and where you run on the machine become an important element to not literally outrunning yourself. Second, this lets you full-tilt sprint and interval train. In true 'crossfit' fashion, it's a machine that lets you genuinely go all-out and sprint as fast as you can. The shape allows for long strides and the beautiful mechanics take up speed obscenely fast. When you want to sprint and go all-out, it's on you. And it only continues to get better from there.

The computer became a training tool, not a readout, which was another incredible surprise. When we think of fitness equipment -- especially treadmills -- I think of the boring data we set such as distance, incline, and speed. However, when doing interval training, you now have important data. Suddenly, you're paying attention to the differences in speed between intervals and how fatigue increases your "as fast as you can". It helps you push yourself to, at the minimum, not go slower. It's phenomenal. Finally, the 'feel' of it is far more natural.

While this treadmill doesn't have a ton of give, there's just something about it that makes it feel 'right'. Resistance is almost non-existent and, on the flip side, there's no relying on the machine to carry you along. It will go as fast as you want. Whether that's good or bad is on you. It mimics running outside, making it an incredible training tool for endurance training, and just having this thing in my arsenal over the winter makes me excited knowing there'll be nothing to adjust to come spring runs.

SUMMARY

In all, yes it's expensive. However, it's built like a tank, silky smoother, and like nothing I've ever experienced. If you are serious about your training -- and I have to assume you are or you wouldn't be looking at $5000 treadmills -- it's worth it. If you own a commercial gym or box, it's worth it. I am confident that it will stand up to anything you can throw at it (and then some). It will make your training better, performance better, and let you take your hardcore training intervals inside without needing a full-on track. It's amazing.
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Good choice for curved manual treadmill, really good for HIIT. Tune to preference.
by myoped57 (5 out of 5 stars)
May 5, 2019

I have only run on this Air Runner and the Woodway Curve. I liked the Curve, at local fitness center, but found that it was way expensive to consider owning one for home. I read online reviews of the various curved manuals and found this one to be at the almost tolerable price point. It arrived well packaged and undamaged. I had opted for the $19.99 pick your room option that includes "one fligt of stairs", but the delivery fellows declined on that option and suggested I uncrate the parts and take them up separately. I did that, and although heavy, the base is one piece and was put on a standard dolly and 62 year self and 21 year son got it up stairs without major mishap. Assembly easy, attach the uprights and grab bar / console. I placed it on an anti skid painted 0.5 inch fiber board to have a solid surface. The initial impression was that it was more "slippery" than the Woodway unit, with the initial setup being back adjustable foot plates being pretty close to fully threaded (short height). I then adjusted the foot plates to nearly as tall as they would go while still having good thread engagement in the base unit. The run was less slippery, as the rear was elevated. The curve is a larger radius than the Woodway and felt like more natural running stride length, but still a bit "slippery". I then experimented with further elevation at the back with some shims. I settled with the nearly full length threaded adjustment and 0.5 inch board under the feet, using some double side tape to keep the feet from sliding off the board. This setup is "better", in my opinion, than the Woodway Curve at the fitness center, that I have no ability to tune - it is what it is. I still do not run at all near the front edge of the tread, even with interval sprints, and, with the less severe curve, allows for running mechanics more like flat ground. The front wheels are just on the deck, and the rear are elevated which makes the last tread slat that is parallel to the floor 16.125 inches vertical above the deck. Some reviews questioned why the times were different than real running over the same distance, so I measured the distance traveled on the belt using a calibrated rolling wheel method. The readout on the display, after 4 half mile measurements and 1 full mile measurement done while walking, was under stating the distance traveled on the belt surface by 0.1 mile per one mile on the digital read out. This is no big issue to me, as I use the Air Runner for HIIT work. In the future, I might try a wee bit higher in the back to see how that feels, but for now just plan to enjoy the convenience of such a nice piece of equipment at home. For a triathlon brick workout, having a smart cycle trainer and the Air Runner side by side allows for year round / all weather training. As for quality and stability, I really can not appreciate any difference between the Curve and the Air Runner, and I absolutely would not go in an extra $5k+ for the Woodway. I also prefer the digital display on the Air Runner.
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LOVE this treadmill
by Allen Lovette (5 out of 5 stars)
February 15, 2019

I've owned several treadmills in the past, this is by far my favorite. I can run as fast (or walk as slow) as I want to, no buttons to hit to change speeds. Also feels like I am working harder vs just bouncing over a motorized belt. It feels very solid, seems like this treadmill will out last me.
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More natural but can't run slow
by avdoc (4 out of 5 stars)
October 22, 2018

Considering purchase and was able to demo it at a local shop. I am a crossfitter, not a runner (47 yoa, 5'7", 165 pounds, 10% body fat). I currently run on a standard treadmill for warm-up 4 days per week prior to alternating assault bike, concept 2 rowing or treadmill running at lactate threshold or doing interval work. During demo, I did 20 min warm-up and 20 min interval work. Because you have to power, much more like running outside. On standard treadmill, you just lift your feet and the tread moves beneath you. On AirRunner, you must pull the tread back with each step. Because the AirRunner is not as steeply curved as other manuals (like Woodway), you must work harder to power. When walking, since your foot is in contact with the tread longer, it's easier to keep it going and I found it much easier to walk on it than I had expected. However, when running since your foot isn't contacting the tread as long, you have to run fast to keep it moving. I found it impossible to keep my heart rate below 130 when running because the pace you have to maintain to keep it moving is fairly high. This may be because I'm relatively light, if so, I would think it would be worse for someone smaller/lighter. Intervals on it were fantastic, but I was forced to walk in-between sprints to get my heart rate down/recover. Also, the tread was very forgiving and there was great cushioning (I wear minimalist shoes), my treadmill is like running on cement by comparison.

Finally, if you're considering this, an online company is currently selling a Xebex knock-off for <$4,000. I messaged a crossfitter who has used both, and he said they were identical. I was a little out off by the plastic sides on the AirRunner, and it didn't seem like the demo model I used was holding up very well, so I will be getting the Xebex. I don't think the Assault name is worth the premium.
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Cannot save workouts, cannot customize screens, cannot connect to phone
by WP (1 out of 5 stars)
May 28, 2019

This is a beautiful piece of equipment but you cannot save your workouts, you cannot customize screens (for example to add a heart rate to the main screen, you cannot connect to your phone. You cannot upgrade the software on the device. If I had known this I would have not purchased this. No videos to program or to use the device. Big disappointment.
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Awesome treadmill for the price with great customer support
by Meysam (5 out of 5 stars)
June 6, 2019

Not sure where the bad reviews are coming from. I have been sprinting on this for more than two weeks and it is great and smooth. Assembly was easy and the shipping was on time and smooth. My product came with a separated leg and it was still usable. I contacted the support and they sent me two legs soon. Overall I am very happy.
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Air runner
by Matt (5 out of 5 stars)
June 30, 2019

Assault is the king of air runners. Delivery was great, and Assault is a great co that answers any questions promptly.
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After five workouts the screen is no longer registering to ...
by Joshua G Goldsmith (1 out of 5 stars)
January 31, 2018

After five workouts the screen is no longer registering to the belt- connections all secure so it's a faulty screen or sending unit. Huge hassle for something this expensive, sending it back.
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High end gym worthy piece of hardware.
by Buddy Ponderosa (5 out of 5 stars)
October 9, 2019

Very solid design and all the components are easy to put together.

The main tread system comes fully assembled and you're really just installing the, I guess you would call them handles? And some cosmetic covers plus the included workout electronic device ( which also conveniently acts as a place to put a phone or tablet).

Price wise it's very high end considering you can buy a very nice motorized treadmill from Costco for about $800.

Comes with 150,000 mile tread guarantee. It's an absolute beast at 280 lbs so put it together where you intend to use it cause that baby is not fitting though doorways or even hallways really.

It's very quiet but certainly not silent but I can't hear my wife pounding away on it from the next room so definitely a plus.

Very cool that you can go from walking to full out running back to walking with no buttons to push. Great for those HIIT workouts.

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